Hot water heater



Oct. 1, 1963 o. o. PETERS HOT WATER HEATER Filed May 31, 1960 FIG! INVENTOR: OLIVER O. PETERS ATTORNEYS United States Patent all Lake, Ind.

This invention relates in general to a hot water heater or boiler, and more particularly to a device for efliciently and quickly heating hot water in a closed hot water system. Still more particularly, the hot water heating system may be used for supplying energy to a heat exchange means for heating a building or the like, or for whatever other uses that may be desired.

The hot water heater or boiler of the present invention includes an enclosing wall of hollow structure to define a water reservoir, a cover over the wall of hollow structure to define a water preheater, and a device within the wall for circulating water therethrough and raising the temperature of the water as it is circulated therethrough. In a closed system, water is initially returned from a heat exchange means and directed into the preheater where it is subjected to a preheating operation. From the preheater, the water is directed to the device within the heater for raising the temperature of the water, and the water is then delivered to the water reservoir. From the water reservoir the water is directed in to the heat exchange means.

An important feature of the present invention is in the device for raising the temperature of the water prior to delivering the water to the reservoir in that the device includes banks of pipes, some of which are subjected to direct impingement and enveloping of a hot flame. A combustion wall of insulating material is arranged behind the pipes subjected to the direct fiame to aid in preventing the loss of wasted energy and thereby providing a more efficient heating device.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide an improved hot water heater or boiler of greater efficiency than given heretofore by known heaters.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a device for quickly and eficiently raising the temperature of water as it is circulated therethroug-h.

Still another object of this invention is in the provision of a hot water heater or boiler having a preheater and means for effectively absorbing heat from normally wasted energy by removing heat from flue gases prior to discharge of the line gases from the heater.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will are apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through a hot water heater or boiler constructed in accordance with the present invention, and illustrating diagrammatically its use in a closed hot water circulating system;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view, partially fragmentary and with some portions broken away to show underlying parts of the device for raising the temperature of water as it is circulated therethrough, and taken substantially along line 33 of FIG. 1; and

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FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a modified form of the invention utilizing a horizontally arranged burner.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, a hot water heater or boiler is disclosed which includes a cylindrical base 19, a cylindrical upstanding wall 11, a cylindrical or annular spacing section 12, and an in erted cup-shaped cover 13. Thus, the structure of the water heater or boiler is sectional thereby facilitating handling of the sections in knocked-down condition and assembly of the sections to define the completed boiler. The sections are suitably secured together when assembled as shown in FIG. 1. And when assembled as shown, an enclosed chamber 14 is defined within which is located at the lower end thereof a device 15 for circulating water therethrough and raising the temperature of the water as it is circulated therethrough.

The cylindrical base 11 and the spacing section 12 are hollow and filled with insulating material 16 and 17, respectively. In the embodiment shown in PEG. 1, an opening is provided in the base 19 for receiving a gun or nozzle 18 of a gun-type fuel burner 19. Either gas or oil may be consumed by the burner 19 depending upon the desires of the user. Primarily, the burner 19 is provided to generate a hot flame 20 for raising the temperature of water circulated through the device 15.

The cylindrical wall 11 is hollow thereby defining a water reservoir 21 having an inlet 22 and outlet 23. The cover 13 is likewise hollow and defines a chamber functioning as a water preheater 24. The preheater 2.4 is provided with an inlet 25 and an outlet 26. It may be noted that the inlets and outlets of the water reservoir and preheater are on opposite sides thereof in order to take advantage of maximum circulation of the water through these units.

The outlet 23 of the water reservoir 21 is interconnected with a heat exchange means 27 by a conduit 28, and the heat exchange means is in turn interconnected to the inlet 25 of the preheater 24- by a conduit 29.

The device for raising the temperature of the water and designated generally by the numeral 15 includes spaced upper and lower substantially parallel headers 34 and 3-1, respectively. A plurality of substantially vertically extending pipes or conduits 32 are interconnected between the headers 3i and 31, and in the embodiment of PEG. 1 the headers are also substantially vertically aligned. Directly behind the pipes 32, but closely adjacent thereto is a combustion wall 33 of insulating material. A second series or bank of pipes 34 are spaced behind the pipes 32 and embedded Within the combustion wall 33, and also interconnected between the headers 36 and 31. Any suitable means may be provided for mounting the device 15 within the chamber 14 of the boiler.

The lower header 31 is provided with an inlet 35, while the upper header 3G is provided with an outlet 36. Preferably, the inlet 35 is at the end of the header 31 diagonally opposite from the end of the header 36 which is provided with the outlet 36. A conduit 37 interconnects the outlet 36 of the preheater 24 with the inlet '35 of the device 15, the conduit also extending through the base it} as does the gun 18 of the gun-type burner 19. A conduit 38 interconnects the outlet 36 of the device 15 with the inlet 22 of the water reservoir 21 to complete the closed hot water circulating system. A pump 3% is provided in the conduit 3'7 for circulation of the water in the closed circulating system, although it will be understood that the pump may be located elsewhere if so desired.

An opening is provided in the spacer 12 for receiving a discharge flue gas conduit 46. In order to utilize to the greatest degree the normally wasted heat discharged through the conduit 40, a deflector 41 is provided and extends inwardly from the lower end of the conduit 40 into the chamber 14 to prevent direct discharge of the flue gas rising from the burner 19 out through the flue conduit 41 The flue gas by necessity must rise to the upper end of the chamber 14 and thereby transfer some of the heat into the preheater 24 before exiting through the flue conduit 4%.

Preferably, the bank of pipes or tubes 32 on the device 15 are spaced ahead of the combustion wall 33 by such a distance as to allow the flames to envelop the pipes, but close enough to obtain the maximum benefits of heat radiation reflecting from the combustion wall and toward the pipes 32. Preferably, the bank of pipes or tubes 34 are embedded about midway in the combustion wall 83. Preferably the pipes '32 and 34 and the headers 30 and 31 are of a material that will readily conduct heat, such as copper. The combustion wall 33 prevents the normal loss and waste of heat by absorbing the heat given off by the hot flame 2t? and eflectively transferring it to the water circulating through the pipes 32 and 34. The rear pipes 34 which are embedded in the combustion Wall act to cool the combustion wall in that they remove heat therefrom by the water circulating through the pipes 34. Thus, heat is absorbed by the water passing through the pipes 34. In both instances, the water will rise through the pipes *32 and 34 as it is heated. Thus, the pipes 32 and 34, as arranged in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 3, may be defined as upcomer pipes. Because of the greater heat effect on the water in the exposed pipes 32, the velocity of the water therein will be greater than that moving forwardly in the embedded pipes 34.

In operation of the circulating system, water is returned from the heat exchange means 27 to the preheater 24 where it is preheated. The water is then circulated through the device 15 for raising its temperature and delivered to the water reservoir 21. From the water reservoir 21 the water is delivered to the heat exchange means 27.

Where desired, the device 15 may be horizontally arranged within the chamber 14 of the boiler so that a horizontally arranged burner 42 may be utilized for heating the water circulated through the device 15, as shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment the pipes '32 and 34 may not be defined as upcomer pipes since they are horizontally arranged. However, the water flows through the pipes in the same direction from the header 3 to the header 30.

. It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention, but it is understood that this application is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A boiler for a closed hot water circulating system, said boiler comprising an upstanding continuous wall defining a firepot therein, said wall being hollow and defining a water reservoir, said reservoir having an inlet and an outlet, a hollow cover over said hollow wall defining a preheater at the top of the boiler and having an inlet and an outlet, means in said firepot for circulating water therethrough and for raising the temperature of the water as it is circulated therethrough, said means having an inlet and anoutlet, a conduit interconnecting the outlet of said preheater with the inlet of said means, a conduit interconnecting the outlet of said means with the inlet of said reservoir, heat exchange means in said ,4 system having inlet means and outlet means, a conduit interconnecting the outlet of said reservoir with the inlet means of said heat exchange means, a conduit interconnecting the outlet means of said heat exchange means with the inlet of said preheater, and pump means in said system for recirculating said Water.

2. A boiler for a closed hot water circulating system, said boiler comprising an upstanding continuous wall defining a firepot therein, said wall being hollow and defining a water reservoir, said reservoir having an inlet and an outlet, a hollow cover over said hollow wall defining a preheater at the top of the boiler and having an inlet and an outlet, means in said firepot for circulating water therethrough and for raising the temperature of the water as it is circulated therethrough, said means having an inlet and an outlet, a conduit interconnecting the outlet of said preheater with the inlet of said means, a conduit interconnecting the outlet of said means with the inlet of said reservoir, heat exchange means in said system having inlet means and outlet means, a conduit interconnecting the outlet of said reservoir with the inlet means of said heat exchange means, a conduit interconnecting the outlet means of said heat exchange means with the inlet of said preheater, pump means in said sys-. tem for recirculating said water, a flue gas outlet in the upper part of the furnace below said preheater, and a deflector extending from the bottom of said flue gas outlet inwardly into said furnace.

3. A boiler for a closed hot water circulating system comprising an upstanding cylindrical wall, said wall being hollow and defining a water reservoir, said reservoir having an inlet and an outlet, an inverted cup-shaped cover mounted on said wall and defining with said wall an enclosed chamber at the top of the boiler, said cover being hollow and defining a preheater, said preheater having an inlet and an outlet, a device in the lower part of said chamber for circulating water therethrough and raising the temperature of the water as it is circulated therethrough, said device including a pair of spaced substantially parallel headers, one of said headers having an inlet and the other of said headers having an outlet, a bank of upcomer pipes interconnected between said headers, and a combustion wall of insulating material mounted adjacent one side of said pipes but in slightly spaced relation therefrom, a burner for producing a hot flame mounted adjacent said device so as to envelop the pipes in the flame, means interconnecting the preheater outlet and the inlet of the header having an inlet, means interconnecting the outlet of the header having an outlet and the inlet of said reservoir, heat exchange means in said system, means interconnecting the outlet of said reservoir with said heat exchange means, means interconnecting said heat exchange means with the inlet of said preheater, and means in said system for recirculating the water.

4. A boiler for a closed hot water circulating system comprising an upstanding cylindrical wall, said wall being hollow and defining a water reservoir, said reservoir having an inlet and an outlet, an annular hollow member filled with insulating material mounted on the upper end of said wall, a flue gas conduit in said ring for discharging fiue gases from the furnace, a deflector extending inwardly from the lower side of said fiue gas conduit, an inverted cup-shaped cover mounted on said ring and defining with the ring and wall an enclosed chamber at the top of the boiler, said cover being hollow and defining a preheater, said preheater having an inlet and an outlet, a device in the lower part of said chamber for circulating water therethrough and raising the temperature of the water as it is circulated therethrough, said device including a pair of spaced substantially parallel headers, one of said headers having an inlet and the other of said headers having an outlet, a :bank of upcomer pipes interconnected between said headers, and a combustion wall of insulating material mounted adjacent one side of said pipes but in slightly spaced relation therefrom, a hurner for producing a hot 5 6 flame mounteg adjacent said device so as to envelop the References Cited in the file of this patent pipes in the arm, means interconnecting the preheater outlet and the inlet of the header having an inlet, means UNITED STATES PATENTS interconnecting the outlet of the header having an outlet 3 L Irwm June 30, 1931 and the inlet of said reservoir, heat exchange means in 5 2,007,540 La Mont y 1935 said system, means interconnecting the outlet of aid 2,028,036 Armour Jan. 14, 1936 reservoir With said heat exchange means, means intercon- 2,032,368 Kerr Mar. 3, 1936 meeting said heat exchange means with the inlet of said 2,194,098 Rehm Mar. 19, 1940 preheater, and means in said system fo recirculating the 2,376,632 Sullivan May 22, 1945 water. 10 2,604,082 Coulbourn July 22, 1952 

1. A BOILER FOR A CLOSED HOT WATER CIRCULATING SYSTEM, SAID BOILER COMPRISING AN UPSTANDING CONTINUOUS WALL DEFINING A FIREPOT THEREIN, SAID WALL BEING HOLLOW AND DEFINING A WATER RESERVOIR, SAID RESERVOIR HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET, A HOLLOW COVER OVER SAID HOLLOW WALL DEFINING A PREHEATER AT THE TOP OF THE BOILER AND HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET, MEANS IN SAID FIREPOT FOR CIRCULATING WATER THERETHROUGH AND FOR RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER AS IT IS CIRCULATED THERETHROUGH, SAID MEANS HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET, A CONDUIT INTERCONNECTING THE OUTLET OF SAID PREHEATER WITH THE INLET OF SAID MEANS, A CONDUIT INTERCONNECTING THE OUTLET OF SAID MEANS WITH 